Mouthpiece attachment for telephones.



J. w. MOBRINE. MOUTHPIEOE ATTAGHMENT FOR TELEPHONES.

A1PLI0A'1'.I0B'- FILED JUNE 17,1907.

902,896. Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

WWW-:5555 Inh/ENTER- jm. w. 'wv/fm eign matter out of the mou JOHN W. MCBRINE, 0F MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

MOUTHPIECE ATTACHMENT FOR TELEPHONES.

Spcification oi' Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

Application filed June 17, 1907. Serial No. 379,351.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. MCBRINE, of Medford, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, a citizen of the United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mouthpiece Attach-4 ments for Telephones, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying draw- P ings, forming a part of this specification, in

explaining its nature.

The importance of covering the mouthpiece of a telephone in such manner as to prevent the entrance into it of exhalations from r the breath, saliva and other matter has already been reco nized and various attachments or devices ave been used for the purpose of securing such covering. These devices are mainly adapted to cover the mouthpiece with a specially formed disk of treated or antiseptisized paper. It would seem, however, that for the purpose of keeping forthpiece any piece of common thin paper might do. I have accordingly provided by my invention a simple and inexpensive attachment or device consisting of two members between which a piece of common thin paper may first be clamped and afterward be applied so as to cover the end of the mouthpiece.

The improved attachment or device may best be seen and its adaptability understood -by reference to the drawings in which- Figure 1 shows the attachment in front elevation as applied to the mouthpiece of a telephone. Fig. 2 shows a cross section of the same when so ap lied. Fig. 3 shows in enlarged detail a special feature of construction to which reference will hereinafter be made. Fig. 4 shows in side elevation the members or elements of the attachment separate from one another. Fig.. 5 shows the separate members in slight modification. Fig. 6 shows an enlar ement of a portion of the same to which reigerence will hereinafter be made.

Referring to the drawings z-A represents the attachment or device and B'the conventional' form of telephone mouthpiece to wlliiih the attachment is adapted to be ape v pThe attachment as shown comprises two members vor elements a and a1 made preferably of hard rubber or celluloid They are so adapted to one' another that when combined a piece of paper C may be heldclampd' between them after which the paper may be applied to cover the end of the mouthpiece by the member a of the attachment combining therewith, as will hereinafter be explained. Moreover, it is to be noted that any common ieee of thin paper of sufficient size will do, t 1e attachment being specially adapted to receive the paper between its members and apply it to cover the mouthpiece.

With respect now to the more specific details of construction. The member a of the attachment is in the nature of an annular ring Ior collar made in part of a size to fit over the mouth ieee and become attached thereto. First iowever, with respect to the relationship of the member a to its complementary member al and the mode of securing the paper C between the members, it is to be noted that the member a consists in part of an annular neck portion a2 on which the member a1 is adapted to fit in the manner of a cover. In fact the member al is a clamp consisting of an annular rim a3 and a top portion e* inwhich there is a large hole or opening. The members a and al, being thus formed, are adapted to receive a piece of thin paper between them, which is placed over the end of the neck portion of the member a, then when the members are combined the paper between them will be drawn taut in over the hole or opening in the member al com letely closing said opening, or in other wor s, the combined members will be provided With a diaphragm of thin vibrator material throu h which the sound Waves l readily pass. he clamp member a* is made, of course, to fit rather tight overthe neck `az which receives it so that even with the aper interposed the arts may be held tight y toe some bearing stress to hold the members in combination and the paper in place, I prefer to rovide the neck with slits a properly spaced) from one another in order that the interposingl members forming' the neck ma give slig tly when the clamp member a 1s put on and afterward by their out pressing tension orstress may hold it and the aper in place. It is also to be observed t at the turns abruptly outward by an annua*` edge bility of which will hereinafter be referred to. Asor the outwardly turned annular edge a",

ifa'cts'as a shoulder against which the nm of ether. In or er, however, that there may.

member a. at the forward end of its neck a which forms the annular bead a?, the capathe clam member a.1 is adapted to bear when the mem ers are in proper conjunction, or in other words, when the clamp member has been compressed so far that the end of the neck will engage on the inside with the top a of the clamp member. The special advantage of this is that the` pa er will be bent in opposite directions7 which have found is especially useful in keeping the members in proper conjunction.

With reference now to the means for securing the members or attachment to the end of the mouthpiece. As will be noted, the mouthpiece of a telephone is bell-shaped in form, turning or flaring outwardly, forming upon its end an annular rim or edge b. It is to this edge of the mouthpiece that I adapt my attachment to be secured. For this purpose the member a in its part or portion a, forward of its annular neck a2 and the outturned annular edge a forming the bead a7 as aforesaid, is made slightly smaller than the end of the mouth iece over which it is adaptedto extend, w ile between this part and the neck the bead a7 forms on its inside an annular socket a. into which the rim or edge b of the mouthpiece is adapted to fit. and, when so contained, to bear against the inside of the annular edge ai as a sto order that the rim or edge b may easi y slip or spring into and out o the socket a", the contracted portion a of the member a is rovided with one or more slits al, so enabling it to give slightly. Of course these slits may extend across the bead as shown in the drawin if it is desirable. By this means it is evident that the attachment is not only secured or removed from the end of the mouthpiece, but when secured it is held tightly clamped and locked in place, the sharp rim or edge of the mouthpiece being utilized for this urpose. It Will also fit should there be anys ight variations in the sizes of the mouthpieces of different telephones.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown a slight variation in the construction of the mouthpiece in that the neck a of the member a is made slightly beveled. The clampv member a1 is similarly beveled on the insi e portion of its rim al, so that when the members are combined they will hug the paper with a gradually increasi de ree o tightness or pressure. 'I have a so s own the clamp member a1 provided with a locking edge a which, vwhen the members are combined is adapted to slip over the annular bead a7 of the member a, so holding the clamp member locked in place. In order that this ma easil be accomplished I rovide this loc ing e ge with one or more s its a, so enabling the parts to give sli'htly or sufficiently for the purpose specifle g The attachment is very simple and mexpensive. A piece of paper can quickly and easily be clamped between its members and then b simple pressure applied to cover the end o the mouthpiece. would also call attention to the fact that not only is the aper tightly bound between the members, gut they 1n. turn are tightly fixed to the mouthpiece so that the aper practically becomes a vibratory part of the mouthpiece and does not interfere with the normal working of the tele hone.

, hile I have used the term pa er as being the best material known to me or covering the end of the mouth iece and for illustrating the especial capa ilit of my device, I mean, of course, any suita le material which would form a proper diaphragm when clamped between the members of the attachment.

Having thus fully described m invention, I claim and desire to secure by etters Patent of the United States2- 1. An attachment or device of the character specified for the mouth ieceof a telephone having separate mem ers attachable one to the other independently of said mouthpiece and adapted when combined to bind and hold a ldiaphragm between them, and means whereby said combined members may be attached to said mouthpiece of the telephone and said diaphragm be applied ter specified for the mouth ieee of a telephone having separate mem ers attachable one to the other independently of said mouthpiece, a diaphragm held bound by and between said members when combined, and means whereby said combined members may be attached to said mouthpiece of the telephone andsaid diaphra m applied thereto.

3. An attachment or evice of the character specified for the mouth ieee of a telephone =having se arate mem ers ada ted to conjoin or com ine with one anot er for holding a ilexible diaphragm between them and during the combination of said members to stretch said diaphra m, and means whereby said combined mem ers ma be attached to said mouthpiece of the telep one and said diaphragm be applied thereto.

4. An attachment or device of the character specified for the mouthpiece of a telephone having separate members one of which members is rovided with an edge over which said ot er member is adapted to draw for stretching and holding a diaphragm between said members, and means w ereby said members may be attached to said mouthpiece of the telephone and said diaphragm be ap lied thereto.

5. An attac ment or device of the characl ter specified for the mouthpiece of a. telephone having separate mem ers attachable one to the other independently of said mouthpiece and ada ted when combined to hold a diaphragm etween them, "and a socket formed within one of said members into which the edge or rim of said mouthpiece is adapted to iit whereby said combined members ma become attached to said mouthpiece an the diaphragm be applied thereto.

6. An attachment or device of the character specified for the mouthpiece of a telephone, having separate members one of which, a clamp member, is adapted to conjoin with the other of said members and hold a diaphragm ltight over the end thereof, and which other member in art is adapted to fit over the projecting e ge or rim of said mouthpiece by a yielding socket formed in thc said part of the member in which said edge or rim is adapted to be contained.

'r'. An attachment or device of the character specified for the mouthpiece of a telehone having separate self-combining mem- )ers which when combined are ada ted to hold a diaphragm between them in ependently of said mouthpiece and one of which members is formed whereby said member is self-attaching to said mouthpiece of the telephone for ap lying said combined members and the diapiliragm thereto.

8. An attachment or deviceA of the character specified for the mouthpiece of a telephone, having separate members one of which, a clamp member, is adapted to conjoin with the other of said members and hold a diaphragm tight over thel end thereof,

means whereby said members may be held under tensional pressure in con'unction with one another, and means where y they may he held infrictional engagement with the end o' said mouthpiece and said diaphragm b'e applied to cover the end thereof.

9. An attachment or deivce of the character specified for the mouthpiece of a telephone having separate members one of which, a clamp member, is adapted to conjoin with the other of said members and hold a4 diaphragm tight over the end thereof, means whereby said members may be held in self-locking conjunction with one another, and means whereby said other member may be self-locked to the end of' the mouthpiece of the telephone and said dia hragm be applied to cover the end thereo 10. A11 attachment or device of the character specified for the mouthpiece of a telcphone, the same having separate members one of which, a clam i member, is adapted to conjoin with said ot er member and hold a diaphragm bound ti ht over the end thereof, means whereby sai members may be conjoined with a gradually increasing pressure, and means whereby said other member may attach itself to the said mouthpiece and said diaphragm be applied to cover the open end thereof.

11. An attachment or device of the character speciiied for the mouthpiece of a telephone, having separate members one of which, a clamp member, is ada ted to conjoin with said other member an hold a dia' phragm bound tight over the end thereof, a bead on said other member forming a socket on the inside thereof in which the edge or rim of said mouthpiece is adapted to iit, whereby said member or attachment may become attached to the mouthpiece of the telephone and the diaphragm be applied to cover the end thereof, and a locking edge on said clamp member adapted to fit over said bead when the members are in con'unction.

JO 'N W. MGBRINE.

In presence of M. E. FLAHERTY,

J. E. R. HAYES. 

